Naruto: Narutimate Hero 2 Playtest

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One of last year's most unique fighters returns for another go in Japan.

By Anoop Gantayat

Last year's first PlayStation 2 entry in the Naruto series, Naruto: Narutimate Hero, was one of the year's most memorable fighting games, thanks to its interactive stages, wild fighting system and anime-influenced presentation. The game, like all things Naruto in Japan, was a huge success, and sure enough Bandai is back with a sequel, Naruto: Narutimate Hero 2.

Developer Cyber Connect 2 has returned with a game reminiscent of last year's debut, only bigger and badder. The graphics engine and fighting engines are basically the same, but new backgrounds and a far greater number of characters add more variety to the limited stock featured in the original. The game also seems to have much more in the way of wild, anime-style, screen-clearing super moves -- it's still amazing that they manage to fit it all into memory.

One obvious difference we've encountered is in the game's super move system. In the original, super moves required that players press buttons in accordance with on-screen prompts, similar to a game of Parappa minus the beat. The new super move system has players rapidly tap the same button over and over again; the person who taps the fastest executes the super move successfully. By winning the button battle, it's possible to chain together up to four super moves together, dealing massive damage to your opponent. This system is a lot simpler than the system from the original, and we're not sure why they even bothered with the change.

The game also implements its mission mode slightly differently from the original. The mission mode in the original was strictly menu based. In Narutimate Hero 2, you actually move Naruto around on a small RPG-like playfield, speaking to characters and attempting mini-games. We've encountered a mini game in which you run up a tree, dodging branches, and a mini game set up as a hand-walking race. You still select missions from a menu, but are free to take part in these side activities. It's nothing like a real RPG, though.

There were a few areas that we'd hoped would've been fixed but unfortunately weren't. The fighting system still doesn't feel as responsive as the better fighting games out there. Also, the game seems to rely even more on special attacks. You're free to use special attacks as much as you want, so if your opponent isn't too good with blocking, you'll end up spending more time mashing the square and circle buttons than you will real fighting.

We have a feeling that Naruto fans love seeing the characters and animation at their wildest, though, which is what the special move system, and the maniac fighting system on the whole, excel at. Fans of the series and the first game will like what Narutimate Hero 2 offers. If you didn't care for the first title, though, a tamer fighting system (along with four player simultaneous play) await in the GameCube take on the series.